Heather Ayers is an actress with an impressive resume filled with Regional Theater, Broadway, Off-Broadway, Film, TV, and now a National Tour of Mean Girls. Other credits include; Broadway: Groundhog Day, Young Frankenstein, On a Clear Day…, A Little Night Music. Off-Broadway: Roundabout, Second Stage, Lucille Lortel, Minetta Lane. Regional: Goodspeed, Old Globe, Yale Rep, LaMirada…. TV: “American Vandal”, “The Affair”, “Brockmire”, “Scandal.” Ayers has done what many aspire to do, which is to work in all fields of the entertainment industry.
Ayers was born in St. Louis, Missouri but was primarily raised in Columbia, Missouri. She recalls being introduced to the arts at a very young age. “My family did a lot of community theater to spend time together,” says Ayers. “My sister and I would be in the shows, my mom would volunteer to do costumes or props and my dad would be in the band.” A family passion that resulted in not only Heather Ayers to land roles on Broadway, but also her younger sister, Becca Ayers, who just closed 1776 on Broadway.
“My sister and I lived together in Manhattan, New York when we first moved so that we could afford housing,” says Ayers. “New York was an overwhelming place coming from the midwest.” Both Ayers sisters went on to build impressive resumes of their own, but also found ways to still perform together.
Heather and Becca Ayers in a production of Camelot
How did they do it? “Get experience! Anytime you have the chance to be on stage, take the opportunity,” says Ayers. Whether you’re MC’ing a comedy night or singing a song for a benefit, that experience will help you grow as an actor.
“Taking that stage time will help you hone your craft and stage presence,” says Ayers.
As seen in Ayers credits, she has not only been a presence on stage but on screen too. She has worked in film and tv, which is something many actors wish to do. Now with platforms like Backstage, Actors Access and Playbill where you can submit yourself directly to directors… the question is, do you still need an agent?
“What has been my experience is that you need a little bit of both,” says Ayers. “Just because you have an agent or a manager, doesn’t mean you should stop seeking out work.” She emphasizes that it’s still very important to audition as much as you can, whether it’s self-submission or through an agent.
“Don’t get discouraged,” says Ayers. “Remind yourself that acting means to you how you feel fed as an artist, if you’re doing what you love then that’s the only thing that’s important.”
Even though Ayers has successfully managed to reach all branches of entertainment, the National Tour of Mean Girls is a new checkpoint for her! “Mean Girls is my first national tour,” says Ayers excitedly. The National Tour of Mean Girls first launched in 2019 and Ayers is thrilled to be a part of it!
“I submitted an audition video and they sent it around to the creative team and that’s how I got the job,” says Ayers. “I was absolutely thrilled because this track that I get to play is extremely versatile.” Ayers plays three different characters in Mean Girls… Mrs. Heron, Ms. Norbury and Mrs. George.
Heather Ayers backstage of the National Tour of Mean Girls as Mrs. George @meangirlsbway
Mrs. Heron is Cady’s mom who is very grounded and down to earth. Ms. Norbury is Cady’s calculus teacher who helps her realize that she doesn’t have to play dumb and that she can be a smart girl and still be valuable in this world. Lastly, Mrs. George is Regina’s mom who is really fun and the opposite of Cady’s mom.
“Our directors are very good at helping me have checkpoints and things I can grab onto so I can make these characters very different,” says Ayers. She explains that finding a gesture or a line can help her get into character when going back and forth between roles so quickly. When asked her favorite, she couldn’t decide. Expressing that she loves them all in their own little way.
Ayers states that if you’re a fan of the movie, you will not be disappointed! “Our director and choreographer did such an amazing job! We have these panoramic screens that will take you to one scene from another instantaneously,” says Ayers. “It’s incredible.”
Heather Ayers on Instagram captioned “2 more days of @meangirlsbway” @breathoffreshayers
